Our Beginners Guide to Window Blinds

ROLLER BLINDS:

Roller blinds are what would have been known as Holland blinds, they’re the most basic type of blind, being a piece of stiffened fabric rolled around a roller which you then pull up and down by either a chain at the side (chain mechanism) or a pull in the centre (spring mechanism). There is an amazing range of choice of colours and prints available, which makes them a good choice when you want a splash of colour in a kitchen or the likes. There is also a really good range of blackout colour available which makes them an ideal choice for bedrooms. They also start at a very reasonable price so are a good budget friendly option. Then if you want to get fancy with it, not only can you pick a more expensive fabric but you can add cool finishes like metal bottom bars or pelmets to jazz them up.

SILHOUETTE/FACETTE BLINDS:

Within the roller blind category we have the relatively new Silhouette blinds. These are basically a continuous length of fabric rolling around a mechanism top and bottom. The fabric is divided into equal panels of opaque and sheer fabric, allowing you to adjust the amount of light into the room, line all the opaque ones up and you let the least amount of light in, then get rolling to allow the light to diffuse into the room. They’re generally more expensive than regular roller blinds but allow you a lot of control and diffuse the light beautifully into the room.

VERTICAL BLINDS:

Vertical binds are made of stiffened strips of fabric that hang from a rail, almost like a curtain rail and can be pulled open across entirely or tilted to block some of the light without being closed fully. They are an extremely practical style of blind as they can be made to fit huge windows and even bay windows. So many of our customers have moved into homes with amazing floor to ceiling – wall to wall windows and then wondered how they’re going to get anything to fit them. In this case vertical blinds are your best option, particularly if you’re on a budget as they’re quite reasonable.

VENETIAN BLINDS:

Venetian blinds are blinds made of slats running across that can be either opened fully or tilted to diffuse light into the room. Venetians are a good choice for most rooms in the home; left down and tilted they are great for privacy so can be used as an alternative to the old net curtains. They are also a good choice for french doors as they can be supplied with hold down brackets for the bottom, meaning that you can tilt the blinds easily and open and close the doors without the blinds moving around too much. Most styles of venetian blinds will come in a few widths of slats 25mm (1″), 35mm (11/2″) and 50mm (2″). It’s good to note that the wider slats will let in more light, both when opened and closed. It’s also important to realise that although they might be made of wood or the likes, the fact that they are slatted blinds means that they will not act as a blackout blind, even when closed. They are available in wood, aluminium and the new kid on the block faux wood. Let’s talk a little about what each means:

WOOD VENETIAN BLINDS:

Probably the most popular of all, they provide a very soft, natural look and generally have a nice colour range. They cannot be washed so it’s important to keep them dusted regularly; break out the ole feather duster once a week.

FAUX WOOD VENETIAN BLINDS:

These basically have all the benefits of the wood but being made of a composite material they can be fully submerged in water, allowing them to be properly cleaned. When they first came on the scene they were much more expensive that the regular wood venetians but have come down to a similar price range.

ALUMINIUM VENETIAN BLINDS:

As the name suggests they are venetian blinds that are made from aluminium. This means that they come in a huge variety of colours and can be wiped with a damp cloth to keep them clean. The downside is that the aluminium is noisy when being pulled and they don’t have the warmth of a wood blind but they work really well in a kitchen or bathroom where you want a statement splash of colour.

ROMAN BLINDS:

Roman blinds are probably the most elegant and even “curtain like” of all the blinds available. They are made from a lined piece of fabric, that velcro onto a track and pleat up into beautiful, simple folds. The best thing about roman blinds is that they are completely custom in the sense that you choose your fabric and your lining, they also give a nice finished look to your window. Let’s be honest about it, in living rooms or bedrooms most people will use a roller blind or venetian blind and then put a curtain over it to dress and finish the window. This is not the case with roman blinds as they already have a very soft, finished look. They can also be hung inside or outside the window recess, making them very practical for awkward spaces, for example a bedroom window in which the wardrobes are too close to the window to accommodate a full curtain or a dormer window.

That covers the basic styles of blinds available. There are other styles of course like pleated or duette blinds, which you may just really love, though in my experience if you’re looking at these styles it’s because you have an awkward window, like in a conservatory or such. Our expert fitters can help in these situations and advise on what might be most suitable.

If you’re feeling inspired, then contact us here at Bay Blinds and take a look at our extensive range of blinds. We offer a full measuring service but if you have some basic measurements (recess size) we can give a rough guide on pricing for all types of blinds.

Each type of blind has their place in the home and hopefully this blog will have helped you decide which is most suitable for you.